1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to funeral caskets, and more in particular, to a funeral casket which includes a video display unit, which may be supported on or attached to the casket, for observation by one or more mourners attending a service for a deceased person lying within the casket. In one preferred embodiment, the funeral casket of the present invention includes an interchangeable, supporting lid structure onto which the video display unit may be disposed, which lid structure preferably also includes electrical circuit means, hidden from observation by the mourners, to energize the video display unit with electrical current.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has been said that there are two certainties in life, one of which is death and the other of which is the payment of taxes. During contemporary times, it is common for a person who just recently passed away to be viewed for a final time by his family, friends and other mourners. Usually, this final viewing takes place at a funeral home, also called a funeral parlor, with the deceased lying in a funeral casket that is presented at one end of a selected room within the funeral home so that mourners can walk up to the casket and view the deceased, pay their last respects, say a prayer, etc. If circumstances permit, the casket will be partially opened to reveal the deceased's face, neck, arms and upper torso, although there are times when the casket will be closed so that viewing of the deceased is not possible. Oftentimes, a brief religious observance will also be performed at such funeral services.
A person's death is usually announced in the local newspaper, and might appear in the obituary column, with a few details given as to the person's identity, accomplishments, surviving family, etc. along with information as to the place and time of a funeral service for the deceased. The obituary column, however, does not readily accommodate many details as to the life of the deceased, and further, may not be a preferred forum for such details, even if it were. It is believed that there are many families who would like to provide the attendees of a funeral service for a deceased loved one with some additional details as to the deceased. However, there is usually not much space in the rooms of the funeral home where the casket and/or funeral service is located, and so, any such display must be limited in size. For example, some families of a deceased person will prepare a very small display for the funeral service in the nature of a simple poster held on an easel that contains several photographs of the decedent during his or her lifetime and other memorabilia. Even this type of display, however, falls short of providing any meaningful insight into the decedent's life. For instance, there is typically not enough room to provide a brief history for the deceased, such as when and where he was born, who were his parents, his education and/or career, important events in his lifetime, etc. nor is there enough room for those stories that might be told about the deceased which succinctly define his personality. If these more informative details could be presented, it might help those attending the funeral home to fully appreciate the deceased, and how much he meant to others.
Even if it were possible to present at a funeral service such colorful details as to a particular deceased person, there will almost certainly be some people who knew the deceased, who were acquainted with him, or possibly even related to him, that could not attend the funeral service. This is especially true for those who do not live in the geographical place where the service is to be held, as in many cases, that place will be where burial is to occur, and not necessarily the area where the decedent lived for most of his or her life. As such, it would be highly beneficial if a display were developed which could meet the needs mentioned above, and at the same time, be reduced to a reproducible, transportable, and permanent form, so that those who could not attend the funeral service might later observe the display, and/or so that even those who did attend the funeral service might be permitted to repeat an earlier observation of the display.
One effort to address these needs in the art comprises the provision of an apparatus, such as a personal computer with a display terminal and a keyboard, in a funeral home, such as in the lobby of the funeral home. The personal computer of this known apparatus may be set up to display information such as written text and/or visual images that describe the life experiences of one or more deceased persons currently laid out at the funeral home, with the capability of permitting individual viewers to select which decedent's information is to be displayed at any one time. The personal computer of this known apparatus further permits copies of the information to be made so that it can be kept permanently and also permits the entry of additional personal information about the deceased, such as by visitors to the funeral home. It is pointed out that the latter feature, however, could subject the system to acts of vandalism such as by a visitor's unauthorized entry of profanity or disrespectful information about the deceased. This type of known apparatus suffers from other drawbacks, however. For instance, this type of apparatus would not be likely to fit conveniently or efficiently within the actual room where the funeral casket holding the deceased is located, and even if it were, the manipulation of a key board to display detailed information about the deceased or to obtain a permanent record of that information would likely be an unwelcome distraction to other mourners attending the service. In addition, the attendees of a funeral home service and/or other visitors might find such an apparatus intimidating in that some knowledge of personal computers would be required in order to operate it, and as such, it might not be used very often.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art relating to funerals for a device which permits a decedent's family and loved ones to effectively display at a funeral service more detailed information about the decedent so as to convey to the attendees more detailed, and hopefully, uplifting information about the decedent, such as his or her important achievements and any other colorful information which might demonstrate that he or she led a rich and full life. So as to advance the state of the art and address the needs which remain in the art, any such device should be able to fit conveniently and discreetly within the room where the funeral casket holding the deceased is to be located, without causing an unwelcome distraction to mourners. In addition, any such device should be structured so as to readily permit the operation thereof so as to encourage its use at a funeral service.